Barr’s Politicization On Full Display, Calls Lockdowns Greatest Intrusion On Civil Liberties Since Slavery
September 17, 2020
Bill Barr has politicized the Justice Department and acted as Trump’s personal fixer instead of working on behalf of the American people. This week, Barr put his overt politicization on full display as he called coronavirus restrictions the greatest intrusion on civil liberties since slavery, attacked his own employees, and made clear he will do whatever it takes to protect Trump and his political interests.
Barr said that stay at home orders are the greatest intrusion on civil liberties other than slavery in American history.
BARR: “You know, putting a national lockdown, stay at home orders, is like house arrest. Other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history.”
Barr said he had the right to intervene in investigations and to overrule career lawyers after already being accused of political interference.
New York Times: “Attorney General William P. Barr said on Wednesday that as the nation’s top law enforcement official, he had the right to intervene in investigations and to overrule career lawyers, castigating his own department and attacking what he described as politically motivated inquiries.”
Barr wanted the DOJ to explore bringing criminal charges against Seattle’s mayor for allowing some residents to set up a police-free protest zone.
New York Times: “The attorney general has also asked prosecutors in the Justice Department’s civil rights division to explore whether they could bring criminal charges against Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle for allowing some residents to establish a police-free protest zone near the city’s downtown for weeks this summer, according to two people briefed on those discussions.”
Barr has repeatedly floated a conspiracy that other countries may distribute counterfeit ballots, which election officials say is virtually impossible.
Bloomberg: “Attorney General William Barr has repeatedly floated a conspiracy theory that other countries may distribute counterfeit mail-in ballots to sway the November election. That’s virtually impossible, according to election officials, ballot-printing companies and political scientists. Yet it’s a persistent argument from Barr, and it echoes Russian claims designed to undermine trust in the U.S. presidential election.”
Barr accused government workers of working to thwart the administration and said if Trump loses, the country will be “committed to the socialist path.”
New York Times: “Attorney General William P. Barr said in a recent interview that the United States would be ‘irrevocably committed to the socialist path’ if President Trump was not re-elected, and he accused government workers of working to thwart the administration. The statements cast Mr. Trump’s opponents, and possibly Mr. Barr’s own employees at the Justice Department, as essentially un-American.”